Year 7: the Middle Ages

The Luttrell Psalter

'Just like today, there were many types of horse in medieval times but they weren’t classified by their breed, but by their usage. Medieval knights must have used more than just their warhorse in their daily lives. In this episode, Jason introduces us to three horses that a knight might have kept in his stable and describes how each would have been useful in its own individual way.'

'Discover how a knight of the 13th Century would prepare themselves for battle, as armourers sought more creative and practical solutions to counter the threat of new weaponry.'

Rats were not to blame for the spread of plague during the Black Death, according to a study.

The chaos surrounding William's death and his funeral.

'In the late sixth century, Pope Gregory I dispatched a small group of monks led by St Augustine to bring back Christianity to southern England. King Ethelbert of Kent was easily converted and donated land to set up a monastery. Renowned for its teachings, the abbey enjoyed renewed activity in the late Saxon period but the greatest change came when the Normans rebuilt the church in Romanesque style and remodelled the monks’ quarters.'

'It is possible to catch glimpses of rural life painted on the pages of medieval manuscripts, though it must be remembered that such images were almost always made for the wealthy patrons who had commissioned the works and so reflect their perspective on country life rather than that of those lower down the social scale.'

'From microwaves to dishwashers, today we enjoy a multitude of modern conveniences. Spare a thought, then, for the medieval housewife. How did she cook? Where did she shop? Where did her clothes come from? Here, writing for History Extra, Toni Mount, author of The Medieval Housewife and Other Women of the Middle Ages, reveals what life was like for a typical housewife in the Middle Ages.'

'Martin Wall is the author of The Anglo-Saxon Age: The Birth of England (Amberley Publishing, 2015). In his new book, Martin challenges our notions of the Anglo-Saxon period as barbaric and backward, to reveal a civilisation he argues is as complex, sophisticated and diverse as our own.'

'Bertha was daughter of Charibert I, King of Paris, and was born around 539 AD. A Christian, she married Ethelbert, the pagan King of Kent, and moved to Canterbury in around 580 AD.' 

The Battle of Hastings.

'Discover how the introduction of plate armour changed the way knights of the 14th Century armed themselves for battle.'

'Discover how a Norman knight of the 11th Century would be armed for battle with the finest equipment available.'

Dances with Wolves (1990)

Tim Lambert: a brief history of Christianity in Britain. 

'Far from the perception of them as creators of exclusively weaponry, there existed a bona fide trade industry and a conscientious effort to create an administration to preserve it. This article will focus on the other aspects of the Blacksmith’s life, it will show that there was a complex industry surrounding who was able to become one and how they maintained their craft throughout the changing medieval world.'

'The Anglo-Saxon period lasted from the early fifth century AD to 1066 – after the Romans and before the Normans. But how much do you know about the Anglo-Saxons? Who were they, where did they settle and what religions did they follow? Here, Martin Wall brings you the facts …'

'Kent has produced a wealth of archaeological evidence from the Anglo-Saxon period and has the earliest written sources in England.'